Chapter 3.20: Dear Diary, Children, Children Everywhere

Dear Diary, my grandma Memphis loved her country music. I don’t mean the stuff you hear on the radio now, but the old music like Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, Conway Twitty, Tammy Wynette. And Loretta Lynn. She was her favorite.

I’m not sure where her love of that style of music came from because it was before her time, I think. Well, no, I’m wrong about that. Now that I remember better, it seems as if she once told me a story of her father Marvin Noble taking her fishing in a rickety old rowboat and with him, he brought a radio. I suppose listening to that old country music brought back fond memories of her childhood before her father died.

You’re probably not only wondering where I’m going with this, you’re also thinking that I haven’t written in a long, long time. Well, I’ll get to that and I’ve been pretty busy.

Right now, let me reacquaint you with the loves of my life…. Charles and Matthieu. They resemble each other so much that I’m tickled to think of how Charles will be when he grows up.

And, my, how he has grown! I suppose you could say he fits the stereotypical “oldest child” mold in that he is often found keeping his younger siblings in line and occupying them when Matt and I are busy.

Yes, I said younger siblings, plural, hence, the reason I’ve been so insanely busy.

This is pretty much the last family photo we were able to take before utter chaos began to rule our lives. (I’m smiling when I write that.) Perhaps, one day, we’ll be able to get a good picture of the entire clan.

Oh, yes, you’re wondering about the little dark haired boy, aren’t you? That is our second son, Laurent. He obviously resembles me the most, but I do see Matt in him, too.

Laurent is our quiet child. He likes to read, play chess and groans whenever he is told to do his chores. But, like his older brother, he is a good boy and a joy to us. He cares about other peoples’ feelings and is sensitive.

A year after Laurent was born, we added our first girl, Martha who we call “Marty.” She is rambunctious, never sits still and loves her gardening boots so much, she wears them all the time. (I think she would wear them to bed if I let her!) She has Matt’s hair and eyes but, unfortunately for me, she doesn’t have his disposition. Some might call her a “stinker,” but I prefer to think of her as “audacious.”

Last but not least, it wasn’t long before we added our twin girls, Elisabeth (“Lissie”) and Caroline (“Carrie”). I suppose I couldn’t get away from having twins since they run in our family big time. Grandma Memphis had two sets of twins!

Anyway, they are sweet but never want the same thing at the same time, so I’m quite busy with them.

We get up earlier than we ever did before because there is always something that needs to be done when you have five children. That was five, wasn’t it? I find myself counting on my fingers sometimes to keep track of them all…. Charles, Laurent, Marty, Lissie and Carrie. Yes, just the five.

This morning, I had to smile because since one year after we were married, we’ve always had a baby or two in the house. It warms my soul and still, I catch Matt all googly-eyed as he watches the children.

It didn’t surprise him, when out of the blue, I said, “We’re going to need another crib.”

Grinning from ear to ear, he said, “And a bigger table, Ma!”

Laurent didn’t seem surprised or to care much at the announcement. But if Charles had heard, and thank goodness he hadn’t yet, he would have groaned loudly about how we had quite enough children in this house!

Instead, he continued his game of peek-a-boo with Marty since they’d already had breakfast.

Well, that last entry was too short, so I’m combining it with this one. As you can see, the twins are much bigger now.

And so am I.

Normally, when I’m pregnant, it’s the best I feel. This time around, however, is different. Maybe my body is just tired of this routine, I don’t know. I’ve gained more weight than usual and deep down, I fear I’ll never have my figure back. Of course, I haven’t seen my figure in years, but that’s beside the point.

And this is where the country music comes in. I don’t really remember the entire song, but I remember grandma singing to it and even watching the old video on youtube.

All at once, I could hear Matt getting after the boys to feed the chickens.

As I watch my family on the farm, it’s those bits of lyrics that I hum to as they float through my head, making me smile. They don’t fit my situation in a literal way, but the sentiment kind of does.

…But here in Topeka the rain is a fallin’The faucet is a drippin’ and the kids are a bawlin’One of ’em a toddlin’ and one is a crawlin’And one’s on the way…

…But here in Topeka, the screen door’s a bangin’The coffee’s boilin’ over and the wash needs a hangin’One wants a cookie and one wants a changin’And one’s on the way…

…Here in Topeka, the flies are a buzzin’The dog is a barkin’ and the floor needs a scrubbin’One needs a spankin’ and one needs a huggin’Lord, one’s on the way…

I hope it ain’t twins again!

Author’s Note:I know this chapter is short, but I needed to catch you up so we could get to know Blue and Matt’s children. Next week, the story continues.

As you learn more about the children, keep in mind the Heir Poll which will be held on September 2nd. I’m really excited about the poll because I have never done one.

As always, thank you for reading. xoxo

“One’s on the Way” by Shel Silverstein, performed by Loretta Lynn, 1971

Oh my, oh my, oh my, you have done this. You didn’t get tired having 5 kids, you are having more? This is freaking me out. I can’t handle large sims families, it’s way too much for me.
Hm, what can I say? The children are all very pretty, but Marty’s my favorite so far. I guess I will have to see when they’re older.
That Blue’s pregnancy seems like a lot of foreboding…foreboding means multiple children in this case. Lol!

babay_j

Holy cowplant Kymber, you have really given this wonderful couple a big, lifetime chore raising all those gorgeous kids!! I am so anxious to see how they all fare in life, and I know it’s going to be really difficult to pick out an heir. I love the way sims actually come out looking like their parents. I don’t envy you trying to “play” this big bonanza family, but I know there will never be a dull moment! This was a wonderful chapter, and certainly moved us forward quickly. I grew up with country music, married a man who loved it, and opera, the same. You couldn’t have picked a better song! ♥♥

Is it weird that I squealed in delight when I saw Blue’s full house?
I am so happy for her. And I am selfishly excited for an heir poll. I also loved the song. My father-in-law was a big classic country music fan. He introduced me to those same artists, and Classic Country is the ONLY country music I listen to (and I live in Texas so that says something).
PS:
Loretta Lynn had 6 children, and had seven brothers and sisters. So, Blue is on track to follow in her footsteps.

I don’t think that’s weird at all. 😀 I have to keep myself from doing that while I play Blue because this part of her life is so exciting to me. lol

I’m also so glad you’re excited for the heir poll. I’ve never done one before and can’t wait to see how this turns out. At least there will be plenty of choices! haha

I grew up listening to this kind of music; my parents always listened to it. When I was about six or seven, they even took me to a Loretta Lynn concert. I remember that she wore this really pretty long dress and when she came out, she slipped off her shoes because it was so hot outside and she asked us if that was okay with us. lol

As for Loretta Lynn, now that you mention it, Blue is more like her than I thought. ❤

Rosie

Oh my gosh, she really is having a house full of kids. I feel like the more kids a couple has, the more you can tell just how much the romance is alive, if you know what I mean! Okay, getting my mind out of the gutter! They’re all really adorable and I can’t wait to see what else she has. It sounds like Marty is gonna be a Mini Blue, though. That should be fun. Keeping the troublemaker alive in the family! First Leo, then Blue, and now little Marty. I can’t wait to get to know them all even better!

Oh goodness, Blue sure has been busy! Six children?!?! Potentially more?! Gosh… Her newest pregnancy almost seems like it will be the tip of an iceberg. I feel like it might set off some bad events but maybe I’m just paranoid lol. Anyway, all her children are gorgeous!! I can’t wait for the heir poll 😀

6 kids! And i thought having my 5 in SOL was a problem. Goodness! I don’t know how you take your pictures and set your scenes, but do you play the game? Because if so I do NOT envy you haha. I imagine they would be such a hassle. But the happy couple still seem happy and loving their lot in life, so no one can complain (except the other kids maybe bahah). I hope there are enough bedrooms to accommodate them all!

LOL! Thank you so much! Well, the kids are going to have to double up. Luckily, the bedrooms are fairly large. So, the girls will have to go in one and the boys in the other. Hopefully, they all fit all right. hahaha

And yes, I do play the game. It’s crazytown, let me tell you, but I love large families. 😀 I’m a glutton for punishment, I reckon. haha

Wow! So many children, and they’re all so cute! Especially little troublemaker Martha. But bearing so many might have a toll on Blue, I hope the bad feeling she has doesn’t turn out to be something terrible…

Thank you, Lila! Oh that Marty is so funny in game. She kind of reminds me of how Leo was a as a little one. There’s going to be some drama and bad timing coming up, but nothing too, toooooo terrible. LOL 😛

I would like to console Blue that she can’t having twins after 5 kids…but…what if you are using mcc? Would you do that to her? Like “beware what your desire?!” …? I can’t wait to see : ))) The kids are lovely and Marty a small beauty. I like big families and allways try to build my houses so that the whole family spend the most of their time togeter 🙂 The pictures from the kids and farm are just beautiful ♥♥♥

LOL! Thank you, hafuhga! 🙂 It would be nice to be able to console Blue about the twin situation, but yes, I am using MCC. :O 😀 While I don’t use it to determine the sex or number of babies, I do use it to be able to have as many sims in the household as I want, so you just never know what’s going to happen.

Good night what a houseful … at least you will never run out of blog material with all the shenanigan’s that comes from that sized family .. but keeping up with them NOW that is different. Congrats to the (not so) little family!
LOL

Shel Silverstein…I love his poems! And I love the poetry of the song you highlighted, though unlike everyone else who commented I just really do NOT enjoy most country music. Like almost everyone else who commented, I am so glad this isn’t happening in my game. I love a challenge, but I hate the micro-managing. If I could just let the sims be sims and do their own thing, life might be that much more sweeter. It’ll be interesting to see what traits the children end up with and how they affect the direction of the story.

Thank you, ciane 🙂 I love Shel Silverstein’s poems, too! I was pleasantly surprised to see he had written this song. Honestly, I don’t enjoy the country music that is out now, just the really old stuff and in small amounts. hahaha I guess I don’t mind the micro-managing; it must be the nurse in me. LOL 😀

Oh my! That’s way too many. I would be a nervous wreck. I was a nervous wreck. You really have to be organized and disciplined to keep that many harmonious. And. . . more importantly you, your husband and children all have to work as a team. Yes, I’m expecting multiple children with this pregnancy. I hope it works out for them.

Thank you, Jolie! 😀 I could not agree more! haha I had only two children myself, but I wanted seven in the worst way for the longest time. Later on, I realized that it was good to have two and besides, I hit the jackpot with one boy and one girl. LOL 😀 I think with Blue and Matt, that they are going to need some help.

Maybe it’s time grandparents joined the fray? Though they’ve got two boys who are probably looking to be teens soon. And it looks like they already help out with the younger children. Charles and Marty looked so cute playing together! ❤

Six kids?? WOW! She wasn’t lying when she said she wanted a large family! I’m glad she’s happy though. I wonder what her parents think. That blue horse is gorgeous! Oh, she says the boys look like Matt, but I think they look like her. Too early to tell of course.

Haha Yes, six! :O I haven’t really delved too much into what Leo and Leela think, but I want to say they’re glad she’s happy, too, and they probably don’t know how she does it all. haha Leo and Leela would never make it in Winchester. 😛